Sunday, 18 December 2016

Sunday's sightings

HelloThe first venue this morning was Sywell Country Park where the relatively long-staying adult Whooper Swan was just off the dam, well it was until a testosterone-fuelled Mute Swan decided he didn't want it on his patch! The Whooper received the message and the swan swam off in to the middle of the water in still murky conditions. A Cetti's Warbler and a Grey Wagtail were also in the vicinity of the dam.Next was Ditchford Gravel Pits and specifically the pits west of Ditchford Lane. Birds here in dull conditions included a Great White Egret, eight Egyptian Geese, an adult female Peregrine, a Green Sandpiper, a Kingfisher and a couple of Cetti's Warblers.A visit to the village of Bozeat at midday was next where some photography in slightly better light was necessary to capture the spangled colours of the humble Starling and a possible Nordic Jackdaw.An afternoon at Pitsford Reservoir attracted sightings of a Great White Egret and a drake Smew in the Scaldwell Bay (courtesy of Jacob Spinks) and two pairs of Red-crested Pochard and a roost of 155 Cormorants in the Walgrave Bay.RegardsNeil M

Whooper SwanSywell Country Park

Cormorant.It may only be early winter but Cormorants aged three years and overwill now begin to acquire theirresplendent breeding plumage readyfor pairing and nest-building in February.

Not the right day to take photosof Pochard on grey water, but manyof the wildfowl present at SywellCountry Park are so used to seeing aconstant stream of people and dogsprogressing around the water that theybarely move away from the water's edge...

Egyptian Geese atDitchford Gravel Pits

The stunning Starling. It is likely that the Starlingswe see currently in the county are a mixture of localand foreign birds. The white spotted 'winter' plumagebegins to wear during the early spring to the point thatthey are back to being glossy again. And the Starlings aresinging now, another birds that initiates the breeding cyclea season early! Most adult males are already beginning to sport a bluish base to the bill and the females pinkish (please see above).

A possible 'Nordic Jackdaw' atBozeat today. Small numbers from northern Europe appear to winter in the UK.